Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Vegan Mixed Berry Chia Jam Tarts

I loved Pop Tarts growing up. I was especially fond of the strawberry
Pop Tarts... and no, not the frosted ones. Shocked? Well, call me a
purist. I can't remember when I last had a pop tart, but the fond
memories of carefully eating all of the edges off, before savoring that
gooey center are fresh in my mind. Having such a delicious memory on my
mind is great and all, but I'd rather have it on my taste buds. Alas, I
am much more aware of what I put into my body (damn adult concsious!) so
I decided to make my own, wholesome version. Alright, now before you
accuse me of some kind of crime against Pop Tarts, I caved and topped
them with pink frosting and sprinkles. We good? Cool.

2/3 cup coconut oil (you can also use vegan butter or regular butter if not vegan)

2-4 Tbsp ice cold water

1 heaping cup frozen mixed berries

2 tbsp chia seed

1 Tbsp coconut sugar

Glaze

So, I just sort of whipped up a glaze without any real measurements. Here's what I did:

About 1 cup powdered sugar

A splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1-2 tsp Karo Syrup

A bit of red food coloring paste

Mix
the powdered sugar and the milk together into a smooth paste. Add the
Karo syrup and food coloring paste until you get the desired hue. The
glaze should be liquid enough to easily drizzle over the top, but thick
enough to stay in place and harden when cooled.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare
the mixed berry chia jam filling by placing berries in a small saucepan
over low heat with 2 tbsp water. Cook for 5-8 minutes and smash with a
fork once the berries are soft. Remove from heat and add chia seed and
coconut sugar. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

To prepare crust, mix flour and salt in a large bowl, then process with coconut oil in a food processor.

Using
a tablespoon, drizzle cold water over the mixture and pulse until it
starts to form a dough. The dough should be moist enough to form into a
ball, but
not too sticky to roll out. Add more water if needed or more flour if it
gets too wet and sticky.

Turn
onto a floured surface, shape into a disc, and then use a rolling pin
to roll into a large rectangle.I used a sheet of parchment on top to
keep my rolling pin from sticking to the dough as I rolled it out.

Cut
into equal squares or rectangles and carefully transfer each to the
baking sheet. Use your fingers to press the centers down a bit to make a
little "bed" for the chia jam. This will help to keep it from seeping
out the sides while baking.

Place
about 1 Tbsp of filling onto half of the squares, leaving a
border to seal the edges. Then use your finger to dot water around the
edges to help the squares stick together. Top the squares with their
matching halves and then seal lightly with a fork.

Use a fork to poke holes in the top of each sealed tart, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until
golden brown.